Infant yard or pen.



C. WEAVER. INFANT YARD 0R PEN.

APPLIoATIoN FILED SEPT. 17, 1912..

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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CARTTER WEAVER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

INFANT YARD 0B, PEN.

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CAR'rrER VEAVEP., a resident of Pittsburgh, in thed'county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Infant Yards or Pens, of which the followto portable yards .wit-hin limits to any desired sizeand may be collapsed or folded to enable it to be compactly stored when not wanted for use.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l represents a plan view of a pen or yard constructed according to my invention, the full lines indicating the same opened in contracted position, and the dotted lines indicating the same expanded; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the pen Jr yard illustrated in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a side elevation,vand showing the same in open extended position; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the pen or yard folded or collapsed for packing or storage; Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5 5, Fig. l; Fig.

. (5 is a detail view of a latch; and Fig. 7 is which are arranged in parallelism with each Both members comprise upper andl other. lower horizontal rails 3 and 4, which are connected by vertical rods or bars 5, sock-v eted, mortised 'therein or otherwise secured thereto to form a rigid connection. Said bars or rods are preferably spaced apart at such distances as will prevent an infant from getting out of the pen or yard or injuring himself -by reaching therebetween. The side wall 1, at 011e end is provided with a vertically disposedr corner post (3, rigidly connectedA at its upper and lower ends to the rails 3 and 4,' and which is located at` Specification of {Letters Patent.

one sidel of said wall and forms a lat ali offset therefrom, as indicated in Figrlgffiin end wall 7 is provided to connectthe `ends of the side walls 1 and 2. This menrlfier comprises upper and lower horizontal railsr 8 and v), connected together by vertical rods@ 'or bars 5, as in the case of the side walls 1 and 2, and is divided interi'nediate its ends at the point marked 9, into two sections which are hinged together by hinges" 10 placed on the outside of the upper and? lower rails. The rails S and 9 of the end member yare connected at one end by hinges 11, to the corner post 6, said hinges being placed on the inside of the pen or yard,"'as

shown in Fig. 1. At their other ends rails 8 and 9 are connected by hinges 12 to-the ends of the horizontal rails of the side `wall 2, said hinges being placed on theinsideof the pen or yard as shown.

The two members A and B of the'penfof Patented nagenieten Application filed September I7, 1912. Serial No. 720,826.

yard are adjustably secured to each other in such manner as to permit expansionand contraction of the pen tor yard in one direction. For this reasoii the side wall 1 of each of the members is placed in parallel-Fv`v ism with the side wall 2 of the other m jm-V ber, and suitable connections are p rovied for sldably securing the walls 1 and 2 to each other. As shown in Fig. 1, the upper i Y "'85 shaped yokes 15 secured naar the ends th'eie- :rails of the walls 1 areprovided with 'U- of and embracing the upper rails of inembers 2. Similarly, members 2 aire provided at their ends with U-shaped yoltes V1G which l are secured thereto and embrace the upper rails of members 1.' The'lower rails of the sol :two side walls are connected in like manner by means of lU-shaped yokes 17, which are secured to the respective lower 'ra-ils and embrace and extend under the same.

ln normal opened position. the parts ocf' of, so that when opened the end members' Suitable can. be rigidly locked and secured in th'epo? .4

sitonsy shown in Fig. 1. The pen onyard may be expanded in a direction parallel to the len th of the side walls 1 and 2 by grasping 'either of the members A 0r B and moving it with respect to the other member, in which case walls 1 and 2 slide lengthwise on each other. In thismanner it rmay be opened to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, further opening movement being' prevented by the engagement of the yokes and 16 with each other, these yokes Vtorming stops to prevent entire separation of the two members or' the pen or yard. y The bottom rails d and Sl of the side and end members are provided with projectingfeet or blocks 26, to rest upon the floor and support v'the trame. These blocks space the lower rails above the floor and a free f space within which the lower yolres 17 may slide during adjustment of the yard without contacting the Atloor and marring or injuring' thesame. The feet or blocks 2G may be of any suitable shape and of any material, but preferably, and as, shown, will be rubber bumpers suitably secured to the rails and hallowed out to exert a gripping or suctidn effect upon the iioor and act as non-slip devices. The non-slip devices also act as locks or stops to hold the two members of the pen or yard in position when adjusted. The de vice being opened to the proper size is placed upon the door, when the friction betw en the lfeet or blocks 26 and the floor is suliicient to 30 prevent vaninfant Within the pen or yard from accidentally'changingthe relation of the members to each other. The pen or yard may also be folded or collapsed, as in.

dicated in Fig. 4:, to thereby permit it to be stored away for later use, The latches 19 are swung back and the end Walls 7 folded inwardly, the members 'and B being,r adjusted with reference to each other to the smallest size of the pen or yardu By folding in the end walls 7 as described, the parts are brought into the positions shown in Fig. 4, in which case the Walls 1 and 2 lie side by side or overlap and the folded ond walls 7 are along the center line of the folded pon or yard. The end walls 7 at one end hinged to the offset corner posts o and this permits them in folding to be brought into parallelism with the side members 1 and 2. It will also be observed that the other ends of the end members 7, in the form shown, project beyond or overlap the ends of the side members 2, as at 25. 1While the jointbetween the end and side members at these points may be the usual mitered joint, it is preferred to have the end members overlap in the manner stated, since this construction permits the folded pen or yard to be placed on end for storing it away it desired.

The pen or yard described is of simple construction and can be readily stored beneath an ordinary couch or placed on end behind a door. It can be made comparatively light so to be easily handled by the average housewife. When opened up it may be made small or large to suit the size of the pompes space within which it is used and will thus accommodate itself to rooms oi diiiercnt size.,

.Wlniit l claim is :e-

1. An infants yard or pon comprising side and end members, said side members being provided with adjustable connections :irranged to permit said yard or pen to be expanded or contracted in a directitm parallel to the length ot' said side n'leinlmrs, and means on said members arranged to contact with the floor or support and prevent expansion or contraction of said yard when in normal position thereon.

2. An infants yard or pen comprising side and end members, said side members being provided with y:uljustable connections arranged to permit said yard or pen to be expanded or contracted in a direction parallel to the length of said side members, and anti-slip devices on said members arranged to Contact with the floor or support and thereby normally prevent expansion or oontraction of said pen or yardy .3. An infants yard or pen comprising side and end members, said side members being provided with adjustable connections arranged to permit said pen or yard to be expanded or contracted, and said end members being hinged intermediate their ends to thereby permit said yard orl pen to be folded or collapsed.

fl. in infants pen or yard comprising two members having` side walls slidably con` nested together, aid members also having' end walls hinged intermediate their ends on the outside oft vsaid pen or yard, and hinged at their ends to said side walls and arranged to fold inwardly to thereby collapse said pen or yard.

5. An infants pen or yard comprisingY two members having side .walls slidably connected together, said members also having' end Walls comprising sections hinged together at their inner ends on the outside ol said pen or yard, said sections being also hinged at their opposite outer ends to said side walls anilarrang'etl to fold vinwardly to thereby colt said pen or yard, and means for rigidly seeurirngr thesections of each of said end members in open position.

6. .An infants pen or yard com rising tivo members having; side walls slidab y connccted together, said members also having end. walls comprising sections hinged -tO- gcther at their inner ends on the outside of said pen or yard, said sections being also hinged at their opposite outer ends to said side 'walls and arranged to fold inwardly to thereby collapse said pen or yard, and means for rigidly securing the sections of each of siid end members in open position, comprising,` a latch on one of the sections of each member, and a cooperating member therefor on the companion section.

-7. An irants pen or yard comprising two members each having side and end` Walls, oneof the side Walls of -each member having a lateral oifset, said endV members comprising sections hinged together on the Y loutside of said pen or yard, one of said sec-` tions being hinged on t-he inside of said pen or yard to said offset, and the other section being hinged' at'itsl end to the other side wall, the side Walls of said members being' connecting bars or rods, each member havl ingside and end Walls, the side Walls of said members overlapping each other, U`

shaped yokes secured to therails of the side walls of' each member, each top rail yoke embracing the companion rail .of the overlapping member above the same, and each bottom rail yoke embracing the companion rail of the overlapping member below the same, said yokes beingl arranged to Contact vwhen the pen .or yard is expanded length- Wise and prevent separation of the members from each other, and bumpers on thebottom rails arranged to space the same above the floor or support and'provide a free sliding space for said bottom yokes. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CARTTER WEAVER.

Witnesses J. L. TRErAmnigJr., ELBERI" HYDE. 

